System and method for providing wireless telephony over a packet-switched network

• US 6,795,444 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vo, Kim Phuc, Foti, George, Tran, Hung, Bertrand, Jean-Francois, Balazinski, Bartosz, Lupien, Francis, Xiang, Zeng-Jun, Lu, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/427,508
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/352, 370/353, 370/356, 370/229, 370/355, 370/465, 370/230, 370/331, 370/252, 370/259, 370/270, 370/285, 370/402, 370/494, 370/392, 370/389, 370/411, 370/437, 370/466, 455/432.2, 455/436
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of providing an integrated wireless telecommunications network including a cellular network portion and a packet-switched network portion. The cellular network portion provides legacy mobile telecommunications functionality to mobile subscribers. The packet-switched network portion is provided for transporting communication traffic, wherein the communication traffic comprises traffic originated from a mobile subscriber, traffic intended for a mobile subscriber, or both. The network also includes a gateway disposed between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion for providing a communication path therebetween. An interworking interface module is provided between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion. The interworking interface module preferably comprises a mobility gateway and an IP client (or proxy), wherein the mobility gateway handles mobility management information and the translation of control signaling information between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion. The IP client handles communication traffic with one or more associated servers disposed in the PSN with respect to, e.g., mobility management, security/authentication, and subscriber services of the mobile subscriber.

Claims

1. An integrated wireless telecommunications network, comprising:

a cellular network portion providing mobile telecommunications functionality to mobile subscribers;

a packet-switched network (PSN) portion for transporting communication traffic, wherein the communication traffic comprises traffic originated from a mobile subscriber and traffic intended for the mobile subscriber;

a gateway disposed between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion, the gateway providing a communication path therebetween; and

an interworking interface module provided between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion, the interworking interface module comprising a mobility gateway and an Internet Protocol (IP) client, wherein the mobility gateway handles mobility management information and the translation of control signaling information between the cellular network portion and the packet-switched network portion, and the IP client handles communication traffic with associated servers in the PSN portion.

2. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) portion operably coupled to at least one of the cellular network portion, the PSN portion, and the gateway.

3. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mobility gateway of the interworking interface module comprises an entity external to the cellular network portion.

4. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, wherein the IP client of the interworking interface module comprises a proxy co-located within the cellular network portion.

5. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mobility gateway of the interworking interface module is implemented within a Visitor Location Register (VLR) disposed in the cellular network portion.

6. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 5, wherein the cellular network portion includes a mobility client that interfaces with a radio access function associated with the cellular network portion, and further wherein the PSN portion comprises a location server for providing location updates to the VLR, the mobility client operating to provide update location information to the location server.

7. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, further including means for transferring call states associated with the interworking interface module to a target serving system within the cellular network portion during an inter-system handoff.

8. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 1, wherein the PSN portion includes call server means for handling call control functions relating to the communication traffic, and further wherein the cellular network portion includes call and service means for managing call and service processing specific to the mobile subscriber.

9. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 8, wherein the call server means in the packet-switched network portion is provided as a slave to the call and service means in the cellular network portion for managing call and service processing specific to the mobile subscriber.

10. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 9, wherein the call server means in the packet-switched network portion implements a request/reply interface directed to the call and service means for managing call and service processing specific to the mobile subscriber in the cellular network portion.

11. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 10, wherein the cellular network portion includes a call client interfaced between the call server means in the packet-switched network portion and the call and service processing means in the cellular network portion.

12. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 8, wherein the call server means in the packet-switched network includes means for maintaining service trigger detection points for the mobile subscriber.

13. The integrated wireless telecommunications network as set forth in claim 8, wherein the call and service means in the cellular network portion maintains service trigger detection points for the mobile subscriber.

14. A method of routing a calling party'"'"'s call to a mobile terminal in an integrated wireless packet-switched network which includes a cellular network portion and a packet-switched network portion, the cellular network portion comprising a Visitor Location Register (VLR) having an interface operable with the packet-switched network portion and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the mobile terminal, and the packet-switched network portion coupled to a gatekeeper and a gateway, wherein the gateway is located closest to the MSC, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the call in the packet-switched network portion, wherein the call is intended for the mobile terminal served by the MSC;

responsive to the call, sending a request message from the packet-switched network portion to the gatekeeper for locating the mobile terminal;

responsive to the request message, sending a location request from the gatekeeper to the VLR interface for determining the address of the gateway that is located closest to the MSC;

sending a location confirm return message from the VLR interface to the gatekeeper, the location confirm return message including the gateway'"'"'s address, if available; and

routing the call from the packet-switched network portion to the gateway based on the received address from the gatekeeper.

15. The call routing method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the request message contains the mobile terminal'"'"'s number as a parameter.

16. The call routing method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the steps of determining, in the VLR, whether the mobile terminal is registered thereat, and if not, sending a location reject return message from the VLR to the gatekeeper.